Japan Mayor’s First Planned Maternity Leave Sparks Nationwide Debate

The decision of 35-year-old Shoko Kawata , the mayor of Yawata in western Japan, to take maternity leave has ignited a nationwide debate over whether elected public officials should step away from office to have children.
Kawata, who is expecting her first child in mid-September, is set to become the first mayor in Japan’s history to take maternity leave, a move that has drawn both praise and criticism in a country grappling with declining birth rates and persistent gender inequality.
Speaking about the public reaction, Kawata admitted she did not anticipate the level of attention her announcement would attract.
“I was so surprised because the reaction was so big,” she said.
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